Why Oregon is right to decriminalize cocaine, meth and heroin
*Oregon State Archives
While some people may find this softer stance on hard drugs shocking, the consensus from the world’s leading drug policy and addiction experts is that “tough on crime” drug war policies have been a spectacular failure, and decriminalization is exactly the direction our laws should be headed to protect people and society from crime and drug abuse ...
When the UN and World Health Organization call for all drugs to be legalized, it’s time to consider a shift in perspective. We need to recognize that ineffective drug war policies are now the radical and scientifically untenable idea, and drug decriminalization is the new common sense, consensus solution …The benefits of decriminalization and potentials of psychedelic therapy are all coming from peer-reviewed science and real statistical data. As such, it’s time that we as a society just say ‘No’ to the incarceration model and wake up to the proven, effective solutions that are at our fingertips. Once we finally adopt evidence-based drug policies at scale, it is no stretch to say it will result in a cascade of benefits to public health, racial justice, mental health, scientific research, and public safety. It will not fix these areas overnight, but it is proven to have a significant positive impact. May Oregon’s new bill be the first of many steps in a move towards sanity in drug policy. After enduring 40 years of these costly and ineffective policies, forward-thinking leaders in America and around the world have been looking for more effective alternatives, and they have found them … After enduring 40 years of these costly and ineffective policies, forward-thinking leaders in America and around the world have been looking for more effective alternatives, and they have found them. Perhaps the most salient global example is that of Portugal. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized the possession of all drugs and shifted from incarcerating drug addicts to offering them treatment instead. After 10 years of drug legalization, Portugal has seen HIV infections, drug-related deaths, and young adult drug use drop significantly, with no overall rise in drug use across their population.
Original Article (Psychedelic Times):
Why Oregon Is Right to Decriminalize Cocaine, Meth and Heroin
Artwork Fair Use: M.O. Stevens
